Method of and apparatus for serving merchandise items in a restaurant with a rotary catering table system, and merchandise item management system for such restaurants

In a rotary catering table system having a rotary conveyer lane (22) disposed in a top area of a base stand (12) and on which merchandise items (14) are conveyed around, a method of serving merchandise items, comprising:

• disposing a merchandise item stocker (34) adjacent to the rotary conveyer lane (22), the merchandise item stocker (34) having a plurality of compartments defined by rows and tiers and adapted to store therein merchandise items (14) classified by type;
• disposing a merchandise item feeder (36) adjacent both the stocker (34) and the rotary conveyer lane (22), the merchandise item feeder (36) being operable to select a merchandise item (14) from those stored in the merchandise item stocker (34) and to transfer the selected merchandise item (14) onto the rotary conveyer lane (22);
• by means of said merchandise item feeder (36), automatically serving the rotary conveyer lane (22) with merchandise items (14);
• by means of a detecting means (38), determining a place on the rotary conveyer lane (22) at which a merchandise item (14) is lacking;
• and
• by means of said merchandise item feeder (36), replenishing said place determined on the rotary conveyer lane (22) with a merchandise item (14) from said merchandise item stocker (34).

In a rotary catering table system having a rotary conveyer lane (22) disposed in a top area of a base stand (12) and on which merchandise items (14) are conveyed around, a method of serving merchandise items, comprising:

• disposing a merchandise item stocker (34) adjacent to the rotary conveyer lane (22), the merchandise item stocker (34) having a plurality of compartments defined by rows and tiers and adapted to store therein merchandise items (14) classified by type;
• disposing a merchandise item feeder (36) adjacent both the stocker (34) and the rotary conveyer lane (22), the merchandise item feeder (36) being operable to select a merchandise item (14) from those stored in the merchandise item stocker (34) and to transfer the selected merchandise item (14) onto the rotary conveyer lane (22);
• by means of said merchandise item feeder (36), automatically serving the rotary conveyer lane (22) with merchandise items (14);
• providing the rotary conveyer lane (22) with a merchandise item supply zone (26) to be served with a merchandise item (14) manually by an operator and a merchandise item recovery zone (28) at which to recover a merchandise item (14) that is deteriorating in freshness;
• and
• providing each of said zones (26, 28) with a measuring means (32) for determining types of merchandise items (14) with which the supply zone (6) is served and their respective numbers and types of merchandise items (14) recovered in the recovery zone (28) and their respective numbers, respectively,
• whereby merchandise items (12) turned around on the rotary conveyer lane (22) are managed.

In a rotary catering table system having a rotary conveyer lane (22) disposed in a top area of a base stand (12) and on which merchandise items (14) are conveyed around, a method of serving merchandise items, comprising:

• fitting the rotary conveyer lane (22) with freshness managing members (48);
• serving the rotary conveyer lane (22) that is fitted with the freshness managing members (48), with merchandise items (14), the freshness managing members (48) being each operable for actuation upon supply with a merchandise item (14) for measuring time elapsing for the merchandise item (14) after supply and each operable to issue a warning upon a predetermined lapse of time after the supply;
• and
• by way of such a warning by said freshness managing members (48), alerting to the presence of a merchandise item (14) that is deteriorating in freshness.

In a rotary catering table system having a rotary conveyer lane (22) disposed in a top area of a base stand (12) and on which merchandise items (14) are conveyed around, an apparatus for serving the rotary conveyer lane with merchandise items, comprising:

• a merchandise item stocker (34) disposed adjacent to the rotary conveyer lane (22), the merchandise item stocker (34) having a plurality of compartments defined by rows and tiers and adapted to store therein merchandise items (14) classified by type;
• a merchandise item feeder (36) disposed adjacent both the stocker (34) and the rotary conveyer lane (22), the merchandise item feeder (36) being operable to select a merchandise item (14) from those stored in the merchandise item stocker (34) and to transfer the selected merchandise item (14) onto the rotary conveyer lane (22), thereby automatically serving the rotary conveyer lane (22) with merchandise items (14);
• and
• fitting an ID medium (62) to a merchandise item tray (20) having a merchandise item (14) placed thereon, the ID medium (62) having a type, price or allowable lapse of time of the merchandise item (14) registered therein.

In a rotary catering table system having a rotary conveyer lane (22) disposed in a top area of a base stand (12) and on which merchandise items (14) are conveyed around, an apparatus for serving the rotary conveyer lane with merchandise items, comprising:

• a merchandise item stocker (34) disposed adjacent to the rotary conveyer lane (22), the merchandise item stocker (34) having a plurality of compartments defined by rows and tiers and adapted to store therein merchandise items (14) classified by type;
• a merchandise item feeder (36) disposed adjacent both the stocker (34) and the rotary conveyer lane (22), the merchandise item feeder (36) being operable to select a merchandise item (14) from those stored in the merchandise item stocker (34) and to transfer the selected merchandise item (14) onto the rotary conveyer lane (22), thereby automatically serving the rotary conveyer lane (22) with merchandise items (14);
• a measuring means (32) for determining types of merchandise items (14) being conveyed around on the rotary conveyer lane (22) and their respective numbers, and
• wherein said merchandise item feeder (36) is adapted to determine which specified types of merchandise items (14) on the rotary conveyer lane (22) are becoming short of supply in number each from a specified number, and to transfer as said selected merchandise item (14) a merchandise item (14) of a type so determined from the stocker (34) onto the rotary conveyer lane (22).

In a rotary catering table system having a rotary conveyer lane (22) disposed in a top area of a base stand (12) and on which merchandise items (14) are conveyed around, an apparatus for serving the rotary conveyer lane with merchandise items, comprising:

• a merchandise item stocker (34) disposed adjacent to the rotary conveyer lane (22), the merchandise item stocker (34) having a plurality of compartments defined by rows and tiers and adapted to store therein merchandise items (14) classified by type;
• a merchandise item feeder (36) disposed adjacent both the stocker (34) and the rotary conveyer lane (22), the merchandise item feeder (36) being operable to select a merchandise item (14) from those stored in the merchandise item stocker (34) and to transfer the selected merchandise item (14) onto the rotary conveyer lane (22), thereby automatically serving the rotary conveyer lane (22) with merchandise items (14);
• a detecting means (38) for determining a place on the rotary conveyer lane (22) at which a merchandise item (14) is lacking, and
• wherein said merchandise item feeder (36) is adapted to replenish said place determined on the rotary conveyer lane (22) with a merchandise item (14) from said merchandise item stocker (34).

In a rotary catering table system having a rotary conveyer lane (22) disposed in a top area of a base stand (12) and on which merchandise items (14) are conveyed around, an apparatus for serving the rotary conveyer lane with merchandise items, comprising:

• a merchandise item stocker (34) disposed adjacent to the rotary conveyer lane (22), the merchandise item stocker (34) having a plurality of compartments defined by rows and tiers and adapted to store therein merchandise items (14) classified by type;
• a merchandise item feeder (36) disposed adjacent both the stocker (34) and the rotary conveyer lane (22), the merchandise item feeder (36) being operable to select a merchandise item (14) from those stored in the merchandise item stocker (34) and to transfer the selected merchandise item (14) onto the rotary conveyer lane (22), thereby automatically serving the rotary conveyer lane (22) with merchandise items (14);
• and
• wherein the rotary conveyer lane (22) is provided with a merchandise item supply zone (26) to be served with a merchandise item (14) manually by an operator and a merchandise item recovery zone (28) where a merchandise item (14) is recovered that is deteriorating in freshness, the apparatus further comprising:
• a first measuring means (32) for determining types of merchandise items (14) with which the supply zone (26) is served and their respective numbers;
• and
• a second measuring means (32) for determining types of merchandise items (14) recovered in the recovery zone (28) and their respective numbers,
• whereby merchandise items (12) turned around on the rotary conveyer lane (22) are managed.

In a rotary catering table system having a rotary conveyer lane (22) disposed in a top area of a base stand (12) and on which merchandise items (14) are conveyed around, an apparatus for serving the rotary conveyer lane with merchandise items, comprising:

• a merchandise item stocker (34) disposed adjacent to the rotary conveyer lane (22), the merchandise item stocker (34) having a plurality of compartments defined by rows and tiers and adapted to store therein merchandise items (14) classified by type;
• a merchandise item feeder (36) disposed adjacent both the stocker (34) and the rotary conveyer lane (22), the merchandise item feeder (36) being operable to select a merchandise item (14) from those stored in the merchandise item stocker (34) and to transfer the selected merchandise item (14) onto the rotary conveyer lane (22), thereby automatically serving the rotary conveyer lane (22) with merchandise items (14);
• and
• an ID medium (62) fitted to a merchandise item tray (20) having a merchandise item (14) placed thereon, the ID medium having a type, price or allowable lapse of time of the merchandise item (14) registered therein.